For those of you who don't know Louise, she is perhaps best remembered for her role as Leela, alongside Tom Baker's 4th Doctor in Doctor Who.
The character was introduced in order to "sex up" the show, even though some people thought a warrior woman dressed in a loin cloth with a hunting knife was taking things too far...
You may also remember her as Rosa di Marco from EastEnders:
Anyway, enough with the introduction, here's the interview:
As a graduate of RADA, and with a successful stint with the Royal Shakespeare Company under your belt, what was it that drove you towards Doctor Who, and to television in general?
Immediate after RADA I got a couple of 'classic' one off TV jobs, and as you rightly say, some prestigious work with the RSC... my then agent and I decided it was time to up the profile and hold out for a TV series. I tried several (got down to the last 10 for Perdy in the Avengers!) and another series called ANGELS - but eventually Dr Who came good - aren't I the lucky one!
When you joined the cast of Doctor Who, the show was experiencing what many have described as its renaissance period. What are some of your fondest memories during your time on the show?
My fondest memories... I think they have to be during the filming of THE SUNMAKERS - such a fabulous script, and fabulous cast, a lot of it filmed on location so the cast bonded more than normal. Also working with Alan Lake on a different story - he was an absolute joy to be around.
One of my favourite Doctor Who stories of all time is Horror Of Fang Rock. How did it feel to not have to wear Leela's classic leather outfit (instead opting for the grey woolen jumper, which looked very nice I might add)?
I wanted a VERY different costume for that story - I thought the clothes should have been absolutely HUGE - why would they have clothes that fitted me? It just wasn't truthful. Also I don't know if you know but that story was originally written for Sarah Jane, so it was hard to haul the character towards Leela - I had to cut several screams!
In 1998 you were cast as Rosa di Marco in EastEnders, who was part of a family which were heralded as the new leads for the show. However, many critics have suggested that the di Marco's failed due to poor script writing for the characters (despite Rosa having some pretty decent story arcs, in my opinion). What are you thoughts on the subject, and of your character of Rosa di Marco?
At the very point where they 'let us go' I thought we were about to fly. In the November before, the then-producer had asked if I was prepared to commit for 5 years as they wanted us to take over the pub and become the lynch pin of the series. I jumped at it. New Producer in February, we are out by May... That's fine, it's the way it works, but I was VERY pissed off that they let the press know before they told us; the BBC has always treated me with such respect and I've had a marvelous career with them over the years, so it was a real shock to be discarded in that way.
As a former Doctor Who companion, you get invited to conventions the world over. Recently, through First Contact Conventions, we have had highly enjoyable visits by Peter Davison, Mark Strickson, and Paul McGann, which have been fantastic opportunities for us fans in Australia to meet the actors from the show. Have you ever thought about visiting Melbourne as part of a convention?
There is the vaguest of possibilities that I may be there this October - my next email. I have had a west end job pending that has just fallen through so I am now available and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to get to the other side of the world.
Hopefully see you soon,
Love Louise X X X
So there you go. Even though I didn't get her autograph (a traight of this blog sight) I did manage to get a really ripping interview from a remarkable woman.
Thanks Louise!
Good stuff Man.
ReplyDeleteYou spelt site incorrectly, right at the end of the blog.